Captain Bartholomew Roberts

Pirate captain Bartholomew Roberts in his finery.
(Courtesy of the New York Public Library)

Eventually, however, Bartholomew Roberts’ luck came to end. He was killed off the coast of Africa. Following his wishes, his crew threw his body into the sea—finery and all. Then, in the largest pirate trial ever held, 52 members of Roberts’ crew were tried and hung—helping to bring the Golden Age of Piracy to a close.

Tags: Maritime history